Fire place constructions



4 Jun 1959 Y Y J. J. MANCUS'I, JR 2,889,824

FIRE PLACE CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Aug. 17, 1954 ENTOR I ATTOQRNEY 1705 05 Mancwlfi ite FIRE PLACE CONSTRUCTIONS Joseph J. Mancusi, Jr., Eastchester, N.Y., assignor to Agnes W. Mancusi, Eastchester, N.Y.

This invention relates to indoor fireplace constructions and more particularly to fire trays used therein.

Conventionally, burning logs are supported in spaced relation to the floor of a fireplace by andirons or fire dogs. Such andirons and fire dogs, heavy and awkward to handle, must be shifted about in order to facilitate the clean ing of the fireplaceif they are not shifted, the cleaning of the fireplace is diflicult and unsatisfactory at best. Some attempts have been made to overcome the deficiencies of andirons and fire dogs by providing fire trays consisting of a series of cross bars which are anchored in the side walls of the fireplace. Such trays are difficult to install because the bars must be cut to the precise dimensions of each particular fireplace. If the design of such bars is complicated to permit the adjustment of the bars to dilferent fireplace widths, their lower installation cost is compromised by a higher initial construction cost.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a fireplace construction which provides easy access for purposes of ash removal and general cleaning.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fire tray which can be readily mounted in a fireplace by anyone.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fire tray which will support the logs at multiple points so as to enable even burning thereof, thereby minimizing fire rebuilding and adjustment.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fire tray that is simple of construction and yet ornamental of appearance.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a fire tray that is easily manufactured and low in cost of production.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fire tray that can be easily shipped.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claim and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a fireplace construction embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the fire tray shown in Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1 a fireplace construction embodying the invention. The fireplace is shown as being composed of a rear wall 10 and diverging left and right hand side walls 12 and 14. The fire tray, generally indicated by the numeral 16, is shown as being centrally supported upon the rear wall It) and in spaced relation to the floor 18 of the fireplace.

The fire tray, as may be best seen in Figure 2, is

tates Patent 2,889,824 Patented June 9, 1959 "ice formed with a generally horizontal back plate 20 of hot rolled steel, 2 x inches in cross section. It is curved rearwardly at its ends so as to dispose the body of the plate in spaced relation to the rear wall of the fireplace. This construction enables air to circulate behind the plate with the result that the plate is maintained at a lower temperature than would otherwise be the case. feature is of significance, for fireplace temperatures are such as would otherwise tend to cause warping of the plate.

Projecting forwardly from the back plate 20 are laterally spaced horizontal bars 24. These bars may be conveniently secured to the plate 20 as by welding. At their forward ends they are bent upwardly so as to provide a stop effective to hold the logs on the fire tray.

The fire tray is supported upon the rear wall 10 by straps 26. These straps are secured to the rear side of the plate 20 as by welding and are of such thickness as to occupy the space created between the plate 20 and the rear wall by the offset ends 22. The upper ends of these straps are apertured at 28, and the entire fire tray is carried upon the rear wall by anchor bolts 30 inserted through the apertures 28 and into the rear wall. The securing of the upwardly extending straps from the rear of the plate 20 enables the fire tray to be installed in the fireplace with a minimum of parts and effort. This is because the forces arising from the weight of the tray and the logs placed thereon are very advantageously distributed over the rear wall. Part of the forces are applied in shear to the rear wall through the anchor bolts 30. The remainder of the forces are divided between compressive forces applied by the back plate 20 upon the rear wall 10 and tensive forces applied upon the rear wall by the bolts 30. The numerous force transfer points far exceed the few attachment bolts.

It can be seen that, with the bars 24 extending forwardly from a rear wall of the fireplace, a minimum of construction is normally presented to the eye when looking at the fireplace. Moreover, the bars may be formed of black handforged steel which merges with the black discoloration to which a fireplace is subjected. If it is desired to make the fire tray as unobvious as possible, the tips of the upturned ends of the bars 24 may be left plain and unenlarged. On the other hand, they may be provided with enlarged knobs 32 which would enhance their appearance. If it is desired to have something flashy, that is, ornamental, in the fireplace, these enlarged knobs may be constructed of brass balls or the like which can be kept polished to a high brilliance.

Evidently, then, there has been provided a unique fireplace construction which will afford easy access for ash removal and cleaning because of the unobstructed opening occurring beneath the front end of the fire tray. Moreover, in addition to providing unobstructed access beneath the tray, it also permits access from above through the spaces occurring between the bars 24. The fire tray can be constructed of a minimum of materials and so as to present an open network which is simple and yet pleasing of appearance. The light requirement of materials produces a relatively light-weight fire tray which can be easily crated and shipped. If ornamentation is desired, brass balls may be utilized on the tips of the log supporting bars as has been pointed out.

Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the fire tray, instead of being supported by the rear wall of a fireplace, rests upon the floor thereof. To this end, legs 34 have been attached to the rear side of plate 20 in place of hanging strap-s 26 of the first embodiment. The legs are formed with long feet 36 which distribute the fire tray load over the depth of the floor. Preferably, the length of the feet is substantially equal to that of the log supporting bars 24 This so as to minimize all danger of tipping. If" desired, forged scrolls 38 may be provided on the tips of the upturned ends ofthe bars 24 in place of the enlarged knobs 32 of the first embodiment. I t is manifest that the fire tray of Fig. 3 can be readily installedin any fire place by anyone and that a fire place embodying such a fire tray can be easily cleaned.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments, it will be understoodthat various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departingfron't the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In a fire tray, a laterally-extending plate having rearwardly-turned end portions for resting against the rear wall of a fireplace so that the intermediate portion of the plate is disposed in spaced relation to the rear wall, a plurality of straps afiixed to the rear side of said plate and adapted to be attached at their upper ends upon the rear wall of a fireplace, said straps being of such thickness behind said plate as to rest against the rear wall of a fireplace when the fire tray is installed therein, and a plurality of forwardly-extending spaced bars fixed at their rear ends to said plate, the forward ends of said bars being formed with upwardly-directed portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10,996 Van Duzen May 30, 1854 604,969 Cook May 31, 1898 1,970,054 Nordan Aug. 14, 1934 2,446,894 Waggoner Aug. 10, 1948 2,447,295 Waggoner Aug. 17, 1948 2,452,410 Wiegel Oct. 26, 1948 2,546,720 Brothers Mar. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,015 Great Britain 1885 19,189 Great Britain 1890 269,982 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1927 

